Thunder from the Skies
by more.of.the.dreams.untold
Summary: As Kiana's family plans to help the Clearwaters through their tragedy what she discovers is the rich family history and supernatural ways of life of her tribal heritage. How will she be able to change the events of New Moon and beyond? Read to find out :]
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, so this is my first story up here on the site. Please send me some reviews. It's the first time I've written about the Twilight world too. Don't give up on the first chapter. I took a few to get the story going. I like giving my characters a lot of background. Enjoy!**

_Chapter 1_

Here I was, taping up the last of my boxes, this one labeled photos and decorations. I didn't know what our new house would be like but my dad assured me that we would all love it. I wouldn't say I was nervous. Just sad to be leaving my friends and the city I loved.

We lived in a suburb in Dallas. It was called Grapevine. During the springtime months and most of the summer it was lush and green. Sometimes in the winter we would get snow but most often it was just hot. We lived on a lake in a decently sized house. There was nothing I loved more than Texas. Although I'm sure you could ask any Texan and they would agree. The city was so diverse I felt like I was constantly running into new things. I had good friends here and family close by; it was really going to be quite a change moving.

My dad was a doctor and my mom had her own boutique store. They were hardworking individuals, no doubt because of their difficult childhoods. They both lived on reservations when they were young and watched how difficult it was for their families to make a living. That's why we lived in north Texas, it was close to the Cherokee tribe in Southern Oklahoma. Many of our family members were there but by being in the city my parents could flourish in their careers. Many people told me I looked like my mother but it was only her hair and eyes, I felt that I was more like my father. I had golden brown skin, a year-round suntan as my jealous friends would say. I wasn't as dark as my father's russet skin or my brother's, but I wasn't as light as my mother. Although, I did have her dark brown wavy hair and deep blue eyes. They were the color of the blue sky when the sun had almost set. It was odd for a Native American to have wavy hair and blue eyes but my mom always explained that somewhere down the line she had Irish in her and it had stuck.

I wouldn't say I was plain but many people told me I was more than beautiful, that I looked otherworldly. I never thought I looked extraordinary but I didn't look like the people I knew my age. That had lured in many jerks during my high school experience. All they liked of me was my body. And once they found I wasn't going to "put out" like they asked they would up and leave. After a while my heart no longer broke. All I expected from young men my age was stupidity. That is, except for my brother.

His name was Ouray but we called him Ray. His name meant arrow and somehow it related to his personality. Don't ask me how, it just fit him. It fit his strength and never ending passion. But we also would say that it fit his anger: quick to flare like an arrow leaving its bow. But he wasn't really an angry person. He had a kind heart and a sweet soul.

"Kia, can I borrow the duct tape?" Ray ask me from the doorway, a sad expression on his face.

"Sure thing." I said, tossing the tape his way.

Oh yeah, Kia, it was short for Kiana – a name somewhat translated to 'of the sky' but I wasn't sure how it related to me. My mom would say it was because she thought I was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen when I was born so I must have been sent from the heavens. My parents' names were Bradley, well Brad, and Samantha Rivers. If you're wondering why we had more native names it was because our grandparents wanted our parents to fit in more with the changing culture. They knew that they would have to branch out of the reservation life if they wanted to live comfortably. But mom and dad didn't want us to lose our culture so they gave us names that would always remind us of that. I didn't mind, I loved our culture. It made us different. It was rooted in such a rich history and way of life and it would kill me to see that slip away just because the times were changing. My dad was Quileute mixed with Cherokee. He had family up in Washington State and that's where we were headed. We hadn't made a trip up there since I was probably 11. I was 17 now. So you could say it had been a while…

Ray hated the fact that we were moving, and he hated our culture too. He was always so embarrassed of his name, that's why he went by his nickname. He was annoyed with our trips to the reservation every other week when we would go take part in the tribal ceremonies and visit with our family. I think he felt trapped in a life he didn't choose, one that he didn't take the time to fully understand. What do I know though, he was a teenage boy, 16 at that. His prime angst and temper flaring years. He for sure got his temper from my dad. You wouldn't know it now by his sweet disposition but mom always told us stories of his "spirited" nature. The word she could say without dad glaring at her. It always made me laugh.

Ouray and I were best friends. He was only a year younger than me and you would think that would mean we were always at each other's throats. But we really understood each other. I could always go to him with anything. Although he was technically younger, I always felt like he was wiser beyond his years. He got his looks from my dad. His russet skin, strong jaw and brow. He had dark hair that was shaggy around his face. I had tried to convince him to keep it shorter but alas, the teenage rage would kick in and I would be met with a resounding no. Secretly, I thought he wanted to keep it longer to look like Johnny Depp. I mean if you could rock it like Johnny, why not try!

So back to why I was packing. We were moving to Washington State because my dad's cousin, Harry had recently passed away from a heart attack. He was devastated. They were extremely close, spoke to each other at least a few times a week on the phone. We were close with Harry's family as well, they were blood after all. Thankfully we were going to move close to Sue, Harry's wife and my aunt, to help her through the hardship that was sure to follow after Harry's death. We had made trips often when we were young although I don't remember much other than my cousins Leah and Seth. That was one of the reasons I couldn't be too sad, at least we had family we could be with and not have to start over brand new. Leah and I were always close when we were young but we had lost touch in the last several years. The same went with Seth. Ray and I were excited to reconnect with them, hoping that we would all still get along.

I began lugging my boxes to the stairs but I didn't know how they were going to make it down.

"I'll take your boxes if you fold my clothes" Ray said as he snatched up my two boxes with ease.

"As long as they're clean" I said after him. I could barely hear him grumble to himself "okay, mom…" as he walked down. I laughed and ran to his room.

It would have been a mess on any normal day but I had a feeling that his mess was contained in the boxes sitting at the bottom of the stairs. All that was left was clothes. His room felt eerie being so empty. The whole house did. We had lived here for a good decade and it was all I remembered. Out Ray's window I could see the sun shining out on the lake in the bright morning light. How could Washington beat this? I guess we wouldn't know until we began our new lives…

"Help us pack the car Kiana!" I heard my mom shout up the stairs. Ray's boxes were finished, the house was packed up and we were off within a few hours tugging a U-Haul behind our Suburban. This was it. This was goodbye. And a hopeful hello to good things to come.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys, here is the second chapter. A little bit more interesting but like I said give it a few chapters to get going. I promise it gets more exciting. Send me some reviews! Enjoy!**

_Chapter 2_

Oh, car rides. It's always exciting the first day or so…but when you're late into day two and still not at your destination it gets rough. Luckily Ray had been entertaining me with his constant rapping and silliness. Mom and dad were losing their patience but I don't blame them. I drove a few times to let them rest. One of my shifts was through Salt Lake City and into Idaho. But now we were finally in Washington. If you're wondering how we got here so quickly…my dad doesn't like stopping so we just take turns. But we did crash at a motel last night. Just for a few hours. Right now we were finally outside of Seattle and staying here for the night to fully rest. Dad didn't want us to be exhausted when we got there. Or for it to be 3 in the morning either. So we were staying here to get a good night's sleep and be ready to unpack…the fun part, right?

We got into our hotel room and settled in. Mom flipped on the TV and it was on the local news station. They were reporting on disappearances. Apparently a couple of people had been missing for a few days now. They were warning the people of Seattle to remain alert and aware of their surroundings seeing as they hadn't been able to narrow down the causes of these disappearances. Abduction was expected, but no solutions had been found.

"Honey, please switch that. I hate the news" she said, snapping me out of the trance the report had put me in. Finding a more pleasant TV channel I suddenly realized just how tired I was.

"You better not kick me in your sleep like last night Kia I had bruises this morning…" Ray grumbled at me.

"No promises…" I trailed off because in seconds I was out.

[-][-][-]

I didn't want to admit it but Washington in May was stunning. It outshined Grapevine in every way. I felt regret saying that but there was no denying the fact that Washington was incredible. I was sure my opinion would change once I experienced my first winter, but now, in this moment I felt like I was in a piece of heaven. We had just turned slightly before reaching Forks, a town I vaguely remembered only because sometimes when we were young we would go there to see movies or do a little shopping.

How was it so _green?_ It was as if this part of the country was living off of magical rain. I kept seeing signs for Olympic National Park making a mental note that I wanted to explore every inch of that place. We finally turned and were driving towards the main area of La Push when to the left of our car was the most incredible ocean landscape. There were cliffs and sections of rocks jutting out of the coast. My memory didn't do it justice.

"Dad I don't see many houses…where are we going?" Ray was saying next to me.

"We are running into town to grab some groceries to have at the house. We already passed our street. It won't be long now"

[-][-][-]

Finally we were pulling onto our street, the street that I had noticed was right by the high school when we first drove by.

"They just recently expanded this neighborhood more towards the coast. We were able to build on one of the new lots. I hope you all like it…" My dad was explaining

We were in a nice neighborhood. Probably a more recent neighborhood than the rest of the reservation. It was familiar in ways but unknown to me in others. We turned down the obvious new street past recently added houses and the furthest house off in its own tiny cul-de-sac was a beautiful new two story home.

"Dad, this is great!" I reassured him. Ray was grumbling next to me but I just jabbed him with my elbow. It was mid-morning and I was brimming with excitement, probably because we actually had rested the night before and I finally had the energy to be excited again. We pulled into our new driveway and I couldn't wait to see what the inside looked like. It was a modest size but larger than the rest of the neighborhood, no doubt due to my dad's income. My parents didn't spoil us, it was definitely something they avoided passionately. But my dad usually splurged on our houses. No one had complaints that was for sure.

"Who is here?" Ray asked.

I hadn't noticed but there were a couple of cars already on our street with some people standing around.

"Sue and her family are here and I'm sure she asked some friends to come help us get our boxes inside."

I shook my head in disbelief, wow I hadn't even recognized my cousins but there they were waving at us from down the street. There were a few other guys standing around…shirtless…was that normal here? I couldn't complain though, they were a treat for the eyes to say the least.

"Billy's even here!" My dad was saying as we pulled to a stop. We all slowly got our achy limbs out of the car as Sue was greeting my parents.

From behind I heard running steps and "Kia!" Suddenly I was overtaken by the person's arms.

"Leah! It's so good to see you!" I said as I hugged her back. She was beautiful! Plain, but nothing short of beautiful.

"I'm so happy you're here! Finally a familiar face who gets me" She said as she glared to the stocky boys around her. I was confused but I laughed and had my arm around her shoulder. "I guess I should introduce you to the guys…" She pointed to them in line, "Seth you know," she said pointing to my other cousin.

"Seth, oh my gosh! I didn't even recognize you!" I said giving him a hug as he chuckled and nervously ran his hand through his shaggy hair. He looked so much older than he was supposed to be. Tall and strong! Wow, what had happened to my tiny cousin?

"…And this is Embry, Quil, and Jared…"

"Hi." I said as I waved to them.

"What, you don't remember us enough to give us hugs?" Embry pouted as he held out his arms. Leah rolled her eyes as she led me to the door.

"Just ignore him, he's desperate for attention." She said.

"I heard that!" Embry yelled after her as he and the shirtless others started unpacking our U-Haul. We laughed as we walked inside.

Ray was already running back down the stairs, "I already picked my room!" He said as he ran past me, "You snooze you lose!"

"Are you serious!?" I yelled at him as I bolted for the stairs leaving Leah behind. I hadn't even seen what the downstairs looked like in my hurry. I saw boxes already in the room Ray picked on the left. It was an incredible room with a window facing the front street and from it you could see the a bit of the neighborhood. The door to the right of his was a bathroom and across from that was another door on the right side of the hall.

"I left you the one with the view…" He said coming up behind me.

As I stepped inside my new room I was in shock and instantly smiled at him. Deep down, past his sometimes annoying shell, I was reminded that he was the sweetest brother anyone could ask for. What a view it was! I slowly walked towards the window, which wasn't a window at all, but a small balcony facing what you could call our backyard. But it wasn't our backyard, it was an incredible and lush forest. There were so many shades of green, so many trees and sites I could have stared at forever. And the smell! It was like those hanging car fresheners but better! My room was a light grey and bright. There was a closet and my own personal bathroom, obviously another reason Ray gave me this room. We had to share a bathroom at the old house and he used to hate me for taking up his time when he needed to get ready in the morning. But hey, it wasn't my fault he woke up 5 minutes before we had to leave for school. I didn't take that long to begin with!

I walked out and snatched him into a hug as he passed by. His face was sad and depressed. "Hey," I soothed as I rubbed his back, "it's going to be great, just wait and see." He gave me a small smile and we walked back downstairs.

The rest of the house was incredible. Modern on the inside but cute and classic on the outside. It wasn't too modern though, it still felt warm and inviting. Even though the reason for our arrival was a sad one my parents seemed happy to be here. I could tell Sue was happy too…well as happy as someone could be after losing their husband.

It had only taken an hour but our suburban and U-Haul were completely unpacked. I guess that's what happens when you have three shirtless models helping you unload. I snagged Leah before they left, "What's the deal with the no shirt thing?" I asked her.

"Eh, it's just their thing…you get used to it" She smirked at me.

"Do you…?" I trailed off as I watched them leave. She gave me one last hug.

The man in the wheelchair rolled behind Leah, "It's nice to see you, Kiana. I'm Billy. I'm not sure if you remember me."

"I'm so sorry but I don't really…But it's great to meet you!" I told him sheepishly.

"Billy has been long time friends of Sue and Harry. You probably only saw him a couple of times when we visited though. Maybe you'll remember his son Jacob when you meet him."

"Oh okay, yeah." I smiled at him as he rolled out of the front door my dad pushing him from behind. I heard him speak in a quiet voice to my dad as we all walked outside,

"Jacob hasn't been home much lately…he's going through some hard times but hopefully he'll turn up…" That's all I could hear as I waved to the shirtless boys, Seth, and Leah. I gave Sue a hug as she passed by and they all left with a 'see you soon'. I guess in such a small town you would see everyone soon…probably all of the time.

"Alright kids, off you go! Start unpacking your rooms!" My mom instructed. Ray and I looked at each other moaning. This was the worst part for sure but I was excited to see what adventures we would get ourselves into soon enough.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the next chapter and it's starting to pick up. Let me know what you all think by sending some reviews. Enjoy.**

_Chapter 3_

**Jacob's POV**

It had been a few days now since I had left La Push. I couldn't take it anymore. After all of the love and encouragement I had given Bella she still left me for the bloodsucking leech. Right when I thought she was about to change her mind. I kept flashing back to that moment in her truck when I was holding her. I could have sworn I felt her almost kiss me, I could have sworn she was going to tell me she was ready. But no…she didn't and it was done.

I didn't even know where I was. As soon as she left with Alice I was so angry I just phased and ran. I ran as fast and as far as I could. I had to get out. I had to hear my own thoughts for once with no one else's. I couldn't stand to think what type of mocking and 'sympathy' would be waiting for me when I returned. _If _I returned, that is.

I hadn't made up my mind yet. The pack had tried to chase after me once I left. Paul had tried to convince me to stay as I ran but I just ignored it. Why stay in a place with people who didn't understand me. Why stay somewhere where I would never see the girl I loved again because she was deciding to choose to be a disgusting bloodsucker like the rest of them. Sure I could try to grab onto the hope that Bella wasn't my imprint. But even Billy said that not everyone imprinted; it was a surprise that so many of the pack already had. So why would I have hope that she was still out there for me? It was stupid to hold onto that.

Even thinking about it all was too much. So I tried to shift my thoughts and only found guilt. Guilt towards me leaving Billy. He didn't deserve this… he didn't deserve his only son running out of his life. But what else could I do? There was nothing. No hope, just pain. And it was unbearable. I let my wolf instincts take over, I let my human thoughts disappear. There was nothing left of Jacob now. Only the animal in me remained.

[-][-][-]

**Kiana's POV**

It was the first week of June and the first summer for us in La Push was beginning. We had been here about a week now and were finding it easy to slip into the life here. Dad was going to work at the local clinic here on the reservation for a couple of days and then work the rest of the time at the hospital in Forks. It was in Forks that my mom would open up her new store, too. She wasn't sure when, but she still really wanted to be working. She loved keeping herself busy but knew she should be there for Sue in the next several months.

Ray wasn't as miserable as I thought he would be. He fit into the shirtless gang easily. Luckily he kept his shirt on though…so I didn't have to see my brother flaunting himself around the reservation. He and Seth got along like old chums, just like I knew they would. I was happy he had Seth. They seemed like they could relate on another level that even I couldn't reach my brother on.

As for me, well, I was loving this place. Yeah, the reservation was small but there were endless amounts of places to explore. I had already made one trip into Olympic National Park and scratched the surface of how beautiful it was. I took my camera along, too. I knew I would never run out of things to photograph here, it was all so stunning. And yet the photos didn't even begin to capture the beauty of it all.

Today was a little different. I had seen Leah a few times already but today she invited me to Emily and Sam's house. She had picked me up and driven me there. As we got out the boy who I recognized as Embry came up to us.

"He's really back, huh?" he asked her.

"Your eyes are as good as mine." She was annoyed. I had no idea why.

"Who is back?" I asked her trying not to sound too interested.

"It's Jacob…" Embry said in a hushed voice, "Be nice Leah." He sent her a disapproving look.

"Whatever…" and she glared back. I was confused but decided it wasn't a good thing to ask about. So I just followed them into the house. As soon as I entered the door I was assaulted with the most pleasant of smells. Baked goods for sure. The whole shirtless gang was here, even Ray and Seth. I waved at them as we walked inside. Leah introduced me to the rest of them: Sam, Paul, Emily, and lastly Jacob. Jacob didn't even look at me, just grunted in acknowledgement. I stared at him confused but Leah interjected,

"He's just wallowing in his own heartbroken sorrow." She said to me but then turned on him, "just get over it Jake. Let it go!" But he didn't. He was shaking, I could see it from where I stood. He glared at Leah and shoved past leaving the house altogether. It was strange how the feeling came over me, but all I wanted to do was reach out to him and comfort him. I had to remind myself I didn't even know this guy.

"Way to go Leah, he just came back and that's how you treat him?" It was Quil who spoke this time. He seemed out of place here. So did Seth and for some reason all I could notice was that they actually wore shirts.

I tried to change the subject, "So Emily, what is it that smells so delicious?"

"It's her famous homemade muffins!" Embry said as he tossed me one from the table.

"The boys constantly eat them, I'm surprised I even have enough time to keep a steady supply." She laughed as she walked up to me. I hadn't notice before but her face had a gruesome scar on it…I shuddered at the thought of what might have happened to her and tried to focus on her eyes. She was a beautiful woman and I could sense that she was kind and loving. "It's nice having another girl around. I hope they don't scare you off."

"It would take a lot to do that" I reassured her. I turned to Leah, "you said there were plans today, what exactly are we doing?"

"Oh, that's the best part! We are headed down to First Beach for a BBQ. A lot of people will be there. It's kind of like a beginning of summer thing"

"It happens every year. It's something all of us look forward to" Sam was explaining to me as he came up beside Emily and kissed her on her scarred cheek. The love in his eyes was unimaginable. I had never even seen my own parents look at each other like that and I knew how much they loved each other. It made my heart happy to see that that kind of love existed.

Leah handed me a picnic basket and we headed outside with the rest of the group. Leah was chatting away as we drove to the coast. And again I just couldn't get over the scenery.

"How do you even get used to this?" I asked her.

"What do you mean?"

"This beauty that you live in! I just can't take it all in, it's incredible"

"Oh, yeah. I guess it is…living here my whole life I guess I just take it for granted" We kept chatting as we unpacked the car and headed down to the crowd of people. I decided to ask her what had been wrong with Jacob curiosity was getting the best of me,

"Oh well he was 'in love' with this girl from Forks but she ditched him for another guy and he's just wallowing." Oh, a heartbreak…I guess he really loved her by how hurt he seemed. I couldn't think about it much longer because as we approached the beach everyone was saying hello to us as we passed by. Some of them even knew my name and I had no idea how. I guess my family left an impression, not sure if that was good or bad. It was nice to feel so welcomed though.

[-][-][-]

**Jacob's POV**

"Dad…" I said as I walked in the house, "Dad I'm home"

"Jake?" he asked wheeling around to the front door, "It's good to see you son." He said cautiously.

"I'm going to go wash up." I told him as I walked passed. He gave me a knowing look. He understood what I felt somehow but I didn't want to deal with the looks or questions.

The anger still filled me up. I wasn't sure what made my feet run home but in a day or so I was back in La Push, unsure of how I got there. I decided it was probably time to stop running away from my problems and just deal with them. If I wasn't going to live a happy life I could at least be there for my family who might still have a chance to.

I heard Rachel come back from her room and ask dad if I was home. She sounded relieved but I ignored it. Who cared, she was happy being the imprint of Paul. He would take care of her. She would get to live a happy life.

I let the water wash over me hoping it would cleanse me of my pain, hoping that I could let go of it all. Hoping…

[-][-][-]

**Kiana's POV**

We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening on the beach. People were setting up a bonfire for once the sun set and there were people around sharing stories and just enjoying each other's company.

It was hilarious to watch the shirtless gang fool around playing soccer, especially when Ray tried to jump in and just embarrassed himself. That is until he grabbed me and made me join in as well. It's not that I wasn't athletic I just really disliked contact sports…When I couldn't keep going I went and sat next to Leah on a log as we watched the boys continue.

Leah was such a sweet girl but I was confused by how the others treated her. I could sense deep down she had darkness within her but I couldn't understand why. So I decided now could be my chance to ask.

"Hey Leah? Are you alright?" she looked at me hesitantly, "I don't mean to pry or anything it's just that I have this feeling that you're not totally happy. If there's anything I can do to help please let me know…"

She sighed, "There's nothing you can do." She explained in a hushed tone, "Really, there's nothing. Just something I have to get over." I felt so sorry for her, wishing so hard I could take away whatever pain she was feeling. I could see in her eyes how much it hurt her, how much it tortured her. So I put my arm around her to comfort her rubbing her shoulder as I did. It seemed to help a bit because the tears that had begun to fill her eyes dissipated. I began to feel her pain and felt reassured that there was hope for her yet. "Thanks" she said quietly.

"I'm always here"

She smiled at me, nodding. "Come on, I think they're going to light the bonfire. We don't want to miss our chance at s'mores"

"Especially with the hoover vacuums playing soccer" We laughed and went to snatch what we could.

We passed by Billy in his wheelchair and he greeted us. "Your parents tell me you're quite the explorer Kiana. Been doing a lot of hiking?"

"Oh yes! I love hiking around here, it's just so beautiful!"

"Well just make sure you don't go alone, there are a lot of dangerous animals hiding around in the forest. Just be careful" And with that he rolled away. _That was weird_ I thought, _but I guess he has a point. I better carry my pepper spray with me just in case._

We ended the night sitting around the smaller, yet still just as impressive bonfire, as we visited with those around us. Seth was sitting next to me and we were catching up on how life had been for him. He was explaining to me how he felt left out sometimes from the rest of the group. I asked him to explain but he didn't know how. "It's just how they are, you know. It's like some crazy clique that I just don't fit in to. Quil feels the same way too. It's like they don't give us the time of day. I'm glad Jacob is back though, he's always been one to make sure to keep us around. I just don't get it though, it's really frustrating." He trailed off thinking I was bored of the conversation.

"That happened to me at my old school once. Sometimes you just have branch out and find another group to be with. There have to be other kids around here…right?"

"Yeah, I guess so…" Ray came up at that point and sat next to us handing us slips of paper and pencils.

"What is this?" I asked.

"Oh we write out our deepest hopes and toss them into the fire." Leah was explaining, "It used to be a tribe thing where they would go around and speak their desires and finish with a tribal ceremony and dance but we stopped doing that years ago. I guess this seemed more appropriate." Huh, I thought, we never really did this back home but it was nice.

It was at that point that I noticed the shirtless gang was missing. It was getting late though, I'm sure it was nothing. In fact everyone was finding their way up and starting to leave. I was sad to see this night go but was happy to know we had many more summer nights to come.


	4. Chapter 4

p style="text-align: center;"strongHi everyone! Thanks so much for the reviews. I promise things will become more clear. Remember, you're finding out about the secrets as Kiana is so don't worry, it'll all make sense. Hope you enjoy this one, it's a little shorter but my favorite chapter yet is just a few away :]/strong/p  
p style="text-align: left;"emChapter 4/em/p  
p style="text-align: left;"strongKiana's POV/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"It had been several days since the first bonfire. I was thoroughly enjoying my time on the reservation. It wasn't home to me yet but it was sure getting there. Tonight Leah invited me to join the younger La Push group on the beach again for another bonfire. I had a feeling that this one would be a bit more fun and I wasn't wrong. We met after dark on Second Beach. It was actually the beach that was more behind my house. There was a trail not too far from my backyard that could lead you to it if you knew how to find the trail./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Ray and I were walking through the forest to make it to the trail. The sun was just now setting and I could start to hear the music blaring from the beach. "So how's it been with the guys? You having fun?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah I guess so. I mean it's not the same as Dallas but it's not terrible. Seth seems a little put off by the rest of the guys though"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah he mentioned it to me too. Just be careful, I can't tell or not yet if they're trouble…"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Hah! Sure, sure mother dearest…" I punched him in the arm./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Hey now! I'm your older sister, I'm supposed to look out for you." He laughed and hugged my shoulder./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I know sis, just teasing." I laughed and hugged him back./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Apparently that Jacob guy is supposed to come, that should be interesting right?" he continued./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Oh…" was all I could say. "Do you ever notice how they all talk to each other? It's like they're speaking in code or something. Sometimes I listen and it just doesn't make sense. I've asked Leah a couple of times but she just brushes me off. It's like they're a cult or something…"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah, it's strange sometimes. But I mean there aren't many other people here on the reservation. I guess you get close enough to each other to begin acting like they do…" He was right, but deep down I heard his uncertainty./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Maybe you're right…" I didn't know what to think at this point nor did I have time because we had reached the beach and Embry was shouting for us to hurry up and help come help stack the bonfire./p  
p class="MsoNormal"[-][-][-]/p  
p class="MsoNormal"I was laughing watching these boys try to keep the bonfire wood from falling off./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Guys, come on. It's big enough! You don't have to make it the Empire State Building!" I teased./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Hey, miss Dallas. I thought everything was bigger in Texas. You should appreciate this." It was Jared./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Touché Jared, you are so right." I just laughed and continued watching. Leah came and grabbed me pulling me onto my feet./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Come on this song is the best!" I wasn't opposed to dancing but was a little self-conscious surrounded by people who didn't know me too well. It wasn't long though until everyone was jamming and dancing along./p  
p class="MsoNormal"A little while later I glimpsed Seth out of the corner of my eye walking up to the fire./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Look who decided to join! Come on over Seth! Jacob!" Sam invited./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Great…" Leah moaned, rolling her eyes. I saw Jacob say his hellos but there was pain in his eyes. My heart ached when I saw this. emWhy did I care so much about this guy?! I don't even know him!/em As soon as he could I saw him slip off into the darkness. I couldn't help myself, all of the sudden I was following him into the forest. I felt so much pain when I looked at him, I couldn't imagine what he was feeling. I wanted to be able to help him, to ease the hurt. I didn't know how but maybe just someone to listen would do the trick./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Jacob?" I called into the night. But I couldn't see anything…I sensed him near but I couldn't see him. I shrugged it off and decided I should head back to the fire. As I was turning back I heard a low rumbling, like a growl. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of darkness sprint past. Chills ran down my spine and I sped up to get back to the others. emI guess Billy was right. I don't want to be out here alone./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"I was relieved to be back by the fire. I wasn't sure what I had seen but I didn't want to bring it up. Better to not know so I don't freak myself out, right? Yeah, I'll go with that. Besides, I wouldn't want to ruin the rest of my night. /p  
p class="MsoNormal"But it wasn't me that ruined the night. A little after midnight as I was talking with Embry and Quil, Embry went rigid. I looked around to see Sam, Paul, Leah, and Jared all stiff as well. /p  
p class="MsoNormal""Guys, I think the cops are coming. We better break this party up and get home." Sam was saying. But I wasn't an idiot. Something was up, I could feel it too. I could sense it in the air. Something wasn't right here, something wasn't welcome here. Quil looked at me with confused eyes and I met him with the same stare./p  
p class="MsoNormal""We will put out the fire, the rest of you head home." It wasn't an option, Sam was demanding of us that we follow his word. Something in me told me I didn't want to find out what would happen if I refused./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Seth, Leah, I'll drive you home. You guys too." Quil said to Ray and me. I nodded, not wanting to walk back in the darkness. But Leah refused./p  
p class="MsoNormal""That's okay, I've got to stay here and help. I'll see you later." emThat was weird/em. But I didn't have time to argue with her. The urgency in the air was too much. I tossed the blanket I had brought at Ray picking up what I could to help and the four of us headed home./p  
p class="MsoNormal"As we drove off I broke the silence, "anyone know what that could have been about?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""It happens sometimes," Quil sighed from the driver's seat across from me./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah it's like they communicate somehow without talking." Seth continued. "I hate it because sometimes when it happens I feel like my life is in danger and I have no idea why…"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""So why did Leah stick behind…that's not like her is it?" I asked./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Well sometimes. In the past few months she's become one of them. But it's like she doesn't seem happy about it. I've asked her about it sometimes but she just blows me off saying it's nothing" Seth seemed sad. I knew it would be hard if Ray was keeping a secret from me. Seth and Leah had been so close before. The whole thing was just odd./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Were you okay earlier, Kia?" It was Ray this time, "you walked back from the woods looking pretty scared."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""It was nothing really. At least I don't think so. I was just going to try and convince Jacob to stay but I couldn't find him. Thought I saw something in the woods but I'm sure it was nothing." emYeah, nothing…please be nothing./em/p  
p class="MsoNormal""That's weird…" Ray said as we got out of the car. /p  
p class="MsoNormal"We said our goodbyes and headed into the house. Mom and dad were already sound asleep by the time we made it in. They wanted us to get to know everyone so they hadn't really given us curfews. But it was La Push, how much trouble could we really get into?/p 


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys! Welcome back and thanks for reading. Things start to get exciting in this chapter. Send me some reviews if you like. And of course, I don't own anything but my own characters. Enjoy!**

_Chapter 5_

**Kiana's POV**

It was late. Around midnight and yet I wasn't tired. I was sitting at my desk, fiddling on the computer, when I heard Ray saying goodnight to my parents downstairs. I was going to confront him tonight; I had already planned it. I was beginning to get more and more suspicious of the cult-like shirtless gang. Especially since my own brother seemed to be spending more and more time with them and becoming more and more distant from me. I didn't know what he was up to with that gang. Lately he was constantly with them and hardly spoke to me. He looked sick all of the time but would always brush it off. I would hear him moaning in his sleep. I didn't like how he was changing. Somehow, and I didn't know how, but he looked taller. And bigger too! How can that happen in just a couple of weeks? I heard him walk into his room and shut the door. I'd give him some time to unwind before walking over.

As I waited I started to realize just how much I had changed too. I wasn't the same person as I was when I arrived. It wasn't a drastic change but I felt different. It could be all the fresh air I had been breathing in or the incredible scenery around me, but I felt stronger, more alert and aware of my senses and feelings. I had more and more time on my own since not only Ray was distancing himself from me but Leah and Seth also. Ray and Seth could just be going through some teenage rebellion but I thought Leah was better than that. And without being in school it wasn't like I had any other distractions or friends.

So lately I would just sit on my balcony during the day and close my eyes focusing on one sense at a time. I'd focus on what I was hearing – the birds, the small animals, the wind brushing through the trees. Then what I was smelling – all of the trees, the mulch, and the ocean in the distance. I felt like I was so in tune with where I was in my life. I felt like I could feel my surroundings, not just sense them, but _feel_ them. I felt so _alive._

I shook my head realizing I had been dazed for a while and decided it was now or never. I got up quietly and opened my door slowly. His light was off which was odd because he usually stayed up till the wee hours playing video games online with friends from back home. I tip-toed across the hall and opened his door silently. He was already asleep and I cursed myself for not just walking over when he got home. Something was off though as I stood there staring at him sleeping. It was like his whole energy was different. This didn't seem like the same brother I had a couple of weeks ago having fun with me at the bonfire.

I walked up slowly, trying not to make a sound. He was sound asleep, breathing deeply. I sighed at the thought of us growing apart for whatever reason he was harboring. It made my heart ache and I felt sorry for him that whatever was going on he felt that he couldn't talk to me. As I was looking at him sprawled in bed I realized he had some major scratches across his arm closest to me. I sat down next to him wondering what shenanigans he and Seth had gotten up to and placed my hand on his arm. So badly I wanted him back in my life the way things were before. I started to feel his pain; the pain of moving to a new city, the pain of leaving his friends. My body began to ache, probably from the way I was sitting on his bed trying not to wake him. I took my hand from his arm and slowly made my way back to the door. As I was closing his door I gave him one last look. He seemed more at ease in his sleep and I smiled to myself wondering if he had been awake the whole time…

[-][-][-]

The next morning Ray was gone before I was awake. Dad had already headed out to the La Push clinic and mom was sipping her morning tea and reading the newspaper.

"Morning," she said as I walked to the fridge.

"Morning mom, where did Ray run off to?"

"Said he was hanging out with the boys again today."

"He's been hanging out with them constantly lately, aren't you worried?"

"Why would I be worried? They seem like good kids. Plus, Sue trusts them so why shouldn't I?"

"I don't know he just seems different to me, like he's more short tempered than normal. He's never this distant with me." My mom glanced at me hesitantly and then put her hand on mine.

"Don't worry about it, love. I'm sure he's just settling in to this new life. Give him some time…"

With that I fixed myself a bowl of cereal and headed up to shower when I was finished. I decided I would explore 'downtown' La Push today a bit, since it was the only place I could really get to walking. I had been to First Beach so many times I had already memorized where every stone and tree limb were. I threw on some jeans and a tank top with some flip flops. I let my hair dry on its own doing whatever wave thing it decided to do today as it flowed to the middle of my back. Why not? I put on a little bit of eye shadow and lip color and was off. As I made it down the stairs my mom called to me,

"Hey Kiana, you may need these…" she said as she waved a set of shiny keys from where she sat at the kitchen table.

"What are those?" I asked suspiciously.

"Oh you know, just any old keys to a car."

"Whose car?"

"Your new jeep." She smiled at me, "Dad and I figured you would need a way to get around so we thought we would surprise you"

"Oh my gosh are you serious!?" I screamed as I ran up to her squeezing her as hard as I could. "Thank you so much! Tell dad thank you if you see him!" and I ran out the door to see my new white jeep. It was perfect and I couldn't stand it.

I guess that changed my plans a bit for the day. Instead of being stuck to places I could only walk to I decided I would drive to Forks and check out the town. The drive was wonderful with my jeep open to the air flowing past. But at one point a chill ran down my spine as I glimpsed a streak of red fly past right inside the tree line of the road headed back to La Push. I had to focus to stay centered in my lane. And then all of the sudden on the same side a large dark shape streaked past as well headed in the opposite direction. I shook my head, it had to be my imagination. There was no reason to think that it was really anything. I tried to ignore my senses telling me otherwise. It was an eerie reminder of that night at the bonfire when I tried to find Jacob. I pushed the thoughts from my head as I arrived into town.

I turned onto what seemed to be the main road of Forks. I passed by a few Mexican restaurants and laughed to myself at the thought of finding authentic Mexican food in the northwest after living in Texas. _Must avoid that like the plague! _I saw a coffee shop and decided to stop. I thought it may be a good place to meet some local people hopefully my age so I popped in.

The barista smiled at me, "you look like you're not from around here" she said.

"Is it that obvious?" I grimaced.

"Well, we get a pretty usual crowd in here. You're just a new face"

"Hah, oh okay. I guess that's to be expected. I just moved onto the reservation."

"Ohhh, are you the Clearwater's relatives?"

"Yep! That's us." _Man, word travels fast around here!_

"Well welcome to the area then…"

"Kiana." I said finishing her sentence.

"That's a beautiful name, I'm Megan."

"It's nice to meet you. So what's good here" I asked her looking at the menu.

"I'll make you my favorite! You won't be disappointed."

"Thanks!" I paid and sat down by the window facing the street waiting for my coffee. As I sat there I saw someone riding by on a motorcycle in a leather jacket. If I didn't know better I could have sworn it was Jacob Black. _Is he part of a motorcycle group or something? Maybe that would explain his bad attitude…_

Megan approached me with the coffee, "So what's fun to do around here if you're like me with nothing to do…" I asked her, trying not to sound too pathetic.

"Well there are a couple of galleries and stores further down the street that are very _Forks_, I guess you could say."

"Sounds great. Thanks for the coffee, it's delicious!" I picked up my bag and started to leave.

"See you around, Kiana!"

"See ya!" I bolted…I felt so embarrassed and lame to be roaming around this tiny town on my own. I really needed to find some other friends…

[-][-][-]

It was finally getting closer to evening. I had milked Fork's main street as much as possible and decided it was time to head back to La Push. I thanked the gallery owner for showing me around his shop and walked back to my jeep.

"Hey new girl!" I heard shouted from behind me. I turned to see Quil running up to meet me as I laughed.

"Hey Quil, what's up?"

"Not much, what are you doing in Forks?" He said, eyeing me.

"I could ask you the same." He smirked as I approached my jeep.

"Whooaa…nice ride! Is it new?" It was nice to have someone interested in something about my life.

"Yeah, isn't it great? My parents surprised me with it. Don't know what I did to deserve it but hey, take what you can get right!"

"I'd say so!" He said running his hand down the side and staring at the front of it.

"You need a ride back to La Push?" Might as well ask.

"Actually, yeah. That would be great if you don't mind. My sister brought me here today but she's taking her sweet time with some friends and I'm starting to feel a bit under the weather." He sent me a small smile.

"Hop in, let's go!" He was so excited to be riding in a jeep with the windows out that he was basically bouncing in his seat although I could tell he really was starting to feel lousy.

The ride was pleasant. Quil was such an easy person to be around and someone I could relate to. I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask about the tension that seemed to be spreading.

"Hey…how have things been with, you know, the shirtless gang" He laughed.

"Is that what you call them?"

"Is there any other appropriate name, Quilliam?" He gave me a bizarre look.

"Quilliam? Seriosuly?" I smirked, I hadn't planned on giving him a nickname but this fit.

"Yeah. Quilliam, get used to it." He smiled but then his face turned serious.

"I haven't seen much of them to tell you the truth and when I have they just eye me with this weird look. Even Seth and your brother have been spending more time with them…"

"Yeah…I know." I frowned, "Ray and I haven't really been speaking much…I don't know what I did."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe it's nothing." He was trying to hide the seriousness of the matter.

"Yeah maybe…" I trailed off as I tried to change the subject. We arrived at his house just a couple minutes later and he jumped out.

"Hey, thanks for the ride Kia."

"No problem, feel better Quilliam!" I yelled out the window. As I pulled down the street I saw the same motorcycle approaching Quil's house. I was right from before, it had been Jacob. He didn't look at me as he sped by. I hoped that maybe he was going to patch things up with Quil. It seemed like Quil was just as lonely as I was…

When I got home no one else was there, _figures_. Mom had left a note though saying that said she'd be back with dinner soon. I decided that going down the Second Beach Trail would be a good way to spare the time. So I ran upstairs to grab my hiking boots and remembered to grab my pepper spray like Billy had warned. I made my way from the backyard to the dense forest. Several yards ahead I could see the trail. As I made my way a little towards the beach a sudden chill went down my spine. I looked around me, adrenaline kicking in. _It's nothing Kia, just keep walking._ But then I couldn't help myself. My senses started kicking into overdrive. My vision sharpened as I searched the tree lines, my sense of smell began to breathe in a metallic scent, and my ears could hear the moans of something…or someone. I began running in the opposite direction of the beach. I wasn't sure why but I felt as though my gut was telling me someone was in danger.

I ran as fast as I could, the trees blurring out beside me as I continued down the path. That's when I saw him. A kid, probably around 13 was lying on the trail. I saw nothing else around him. He was breathing heavily and his left arm was displaced in an odd angle. Blood was beginning to pool from his head and arm and I could tell he was going into shock. I ran to him and knelt on the ground near him.

"Can you hear me?" I said, feeling his pulse in his neck with my fingers. His heart was beating, _good, still strong_. "It's going to be okay, I promise. I'm here, I'll help you."

I don't know what came over me but I felt the child's pain, I saw the fear in his eyes. The terror from what had just happened to him. A current sparked within me and I felt an energy that had only flickered through me before. It was probably just the adrenaline but I placed my hands on this boy's face and arm. I closed my eyes and began to breathe deeply. I wasn't sure what was happening but I felt like if I just focused, if I could just keep him conscious and safe he would be okay.

That's when it happened…I began to feel pain. My body ached, especially my arm and the back of my head. The current within me was like a fire and by instinct I directed it to the boy in front of me. Then all of the sudden it was too much, I could hardly breathe the pain hit me with such force. My eyes snapped open as I heard a distant noise become clearer.

_No. No!_

The shape, the dark shape. It was here, I sensed it. I stared down the trail in fear. Whatever that shape was I was almost certain it hurt this boy. The sound was becoming louder as I saw the shape become clearer. It wasn't just a shape any longer, it was a giant wolf. The largest I had ever seen before, _could they even exist to be that big!? _It slowed because I thought for sure it had seen me. The pain within me was growing too intense, my focus fell from the boy to my own survival. The pain was unbearable. _This was it, this was how I was going to die._

The wolf approached me and the boy I could no longer protect. But it was almost as if the wolf didn't even see me. How did it not see me? All of the sudden darkness was filling my eyes and my senses. What once was clear was now fog and I couldn't hold on any longer. As I fell into the black I heard a voice I thought I recognized and then shouting from down the trail. All voices I thought I knew but in my haze couldn't identify. And then I was sucked down into the darkness.


	6. Chapter 6

p style="text-align: center;"strongHey guys! Here's another chapter! The more interesting things are starting :] let me know what you guys think! Also, I change some things here and there in comparison to the books but as always I don't own any of this, just my characters. Enjoy./strong/p  
p style="text-align: left;"emChapter 6/em/p  
p style="text-align: left;"strongJacob's POV/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Victoria had slipped through our grasp again on multiple occasions. Nothing was more frustrating than not being able to take this bloodsucker down. I had spoken with Bella a week ago and it wasn't pleasant. She had called me, telling me to meet her at Cullen's house because they had something important to tell me. Why she thought I'd want to know about her desire to become a disgusting leech I had no idea./p  
p class="MsoNormal"But when I had arrived she and her vampire lover had told me about this nomadic leech, Victoria, who was after Bella. The vampire they had killed previously was this one's mate and so this crazy one was after Bella. My heart ached because I knew she must be scared and all I wanted to do was protect her. But she had made her choice…she didn't want her protection coming from me. She didn't want the chance at a normal life with me, she wanted it from emhim/em, even though her life would hardly be considered normalem./em I told her I would inform the others about the new development and that we would keep our borders safe./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Before I could leave Bella stopped me at the front steps,/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Jake…can we talk for a second?" She had said hesitantly behind me./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Didn't we just do that?" I couldn't keep the anger from my voice and I had to take a few deep breaths to keep from phasing. How could you love and hate someone so much?/p  
p class="MsoNormal""I'm so sorry, Jake. I know this must be really hard for you. Please know I never wanted to cause you pain…"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah…" was all that I could say. I avoided her eyes because I knew that if I saw her sweet brown orbs I'd lose it. "Why do you even care to apologize? You've made your choice."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah…I guess I have."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""You guess?! I'm surprised you don't have a date set to change you into one of them"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Well…"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Oh Bella, don't even make me laugh. You can't be serious!" I was yelling at her, not wanting to, but not being able to control it./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I would have by now but with Victoria on the loose we decided I should wait until she's…handled…so that I'm not vulnerable." I stared at her in disbelief. What happened to my smart, wonderful Bella? Where was the girl that had made me so happy and so in love? All that was standing in front of me was a stranger, a stranger with an eternal death wish. I stared at her one last time./p  
p class="MsoNormal""You make me sick." And with that I turned and ran to the trees. No, it wasn't the nicest goodbye but did she even deserve one? /p  
p class="MsoNormal"Since then I had been trying to push her from my thoughts. Keeping busy by guarding the borders which was what I was doing today. I had been running through the trees behind First Beach making my way towards Second Beach. The wind felt good on my face, it cleared my head and let me have some type of relief. If for some reason I ever got stuck being a wolf I wouldn't be opposed to it. A laugh escaped my mouth…what a sick thought. The old Jacob would have never admitted that, but I guess the old Jacob is long gone now./p  
p class="MsoNormal"I was torn from my thoughts. As I approach Second Beach I caught the scent of Victoria. emShe's here!/em I signaled to the others in my mind. I heard them all begin to make their way towards me. That's when I saw the shot of red fly past me and the scream of someone. Rage flew into my veins. She was feeding and someone from the reservation was hurt. I was running at full speed and yet I knew I wasn't going to make it in time to help the person. I had just crossed the trail hearing screams from my right but seeing the flash of red going left. I decided I would chase her down. We didn't get many chances of her being so near./p  
p class="MsoNormal"It was like chasing a wildfire. Thankfully I was gaining on her. I saw her glance behind me and I heard her laugh. It was sick to me how this creature found humor amidst the darkness of this situation. I was at her heels and grabbed at her foot with my claws. She tripped up as I saw Sam come into view. He lunged at her but missed as she bounced up into the trees with inhuman force. And like that she vanished from my view./p  
p class="MsoNormal"emFind the person she attacked, I'll chase her with the others/em. Sam said in my mind. I nodded to him and ran back to the trail. I smelled blood mixed with the most beautiful scent that had ever met my nose. It was hard to keep my focus on the scent of blood to follow it but the beautiful smell overwhelmed me. I finally saw someone coming into view. As I ran towards them on the trail I thought I recognized the person. But there were two people…wait now just one. How did that happen? I stopped in my tracks, blinking a few times. I could have sworn I just saw someone…and then they vanished into thin air. And if I wasn't completely losing it I thought it was Kiana, Ray's sister. emI must be losing it./em I ran to the other person in front of me phasing back to my human form and pulling on my shorts as I reached them. I grimaced, it was a small boy, probably in his early teens and he was hurt bad. But somehow not as hurt as I had imagined. He should have been unconscious by now with the blood he lost but somehow he was still fighting to stay awake./p  
p class="MsoNormal""You're going to be okay, I promise." It was then that I saw Leah and Ray in wolf form. "Guys, phase to help me get him back to the clinic!" They did so./p  
p class="MsoNormal""How did this happen?" Ray was asking./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Take one guess." Leah answered him./p  
p class="MsoNormal""This is what they do? They hurt the innocent to the point of almost death?!"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""They usually don't even give them the chance to live…" I told him. His face was white. Poor kid had been having a tough time with the transformation. Since he was only part Quileute it was taking longer for the wolf to take over. This was one of his first days on patrol with us./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Ray, stay and patrol here a bit with Leah and I'll run this kid to the clinic. I could have sworn I saw your sister as I got here but I don't know where she went." He looked really concerned, knowing that it was dangerous for Kiana to be out here unprotected./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Okay." He said back. He and Leah phased back into wolf form as Sam approached in his human form./p  
p class="MsoNormal""My truck is down the path, let's get him in there and take him to the hospital." Sam was saying. I nodded hoping we had enough time to save this kid. But we would only be able to help him physically, there's no telling what he would remember or what horror would haunt his thoughts once he recovered. I hoped he wouldn't remember a thing./p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongKiana's POV/strong/p  
p class="MsoNormal"All of the sudden the haze was lifting. I was being shaken out of the fog by a pair of warm hands. I was gasping for air as my vision cleared and I met two familiar eyes staring back at me in concern./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Kiana, wake up! What happened?" It was Ray. Oh thank God it was Ray. I grasped for him as he pulled me into a hug. "Kia, are you okay?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""I think so…I'm not exactly sure what happened."/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Ray put his hand on my face as if feeling for a fever. "Let's get you home, come on." He helped me to my feet but I felt weak./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Ray, you might have to help me walk back." I said as I steadied myself against his shoulder./p  
p class="MsoNormal""No problem." And he whisked me up into his arms. emSince when had he gotten so strong?/em I took this moment as a chance to hold him captive./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Ray…" I begged, "Where have you been? I feel like I haven't seen you or spoken to you in days. I hate it…"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"He glanced down at me with a pained expression. "I know Kia, I'm sorry. I haven't been trying to avoid you I promise. Things have just been…busy."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Busy?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah, busy." We were silent for a minute./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Ray, you know you can tell me anything and I won't judge you. I won't go run and tell mom and dad either, you know that."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""I know Kia, it's nothing like that. It's just…" He sighed in frustration, "I don't even know what's going on really, but give me some time and we can talk about it" He was setting me down near our back door. I pulled him into a hug./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Thank you – "but then I realized he was burning up. "Ray you're on fire!" I said as I put my hands on his face feeling the heat from his skin./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah, I guess I'm not feeling too hot. We should both probably go in and rest."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah, okay…I'll get mom."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""No." he said suddenly. "Just grab dad." I stared after him as he walked inside. emThat was weird…dad isn't the one to help us when we're sick, mom is. /emI didn't want to press him though. He was obviously starting to feel really sick and he just needed to rest. I sighed and walked inside to grab my dad. It was then that I realized my hands were covered in blood. I rushed to the kitchen sink yelling to my dad that Ray needed him. He eyed me as he quickly ran past me to the stairs. It was like he already knew Ray needed him…I shook my head clearing the thoughts from my mind./p  
p class="MsoNormal"I needed to rest. I was starting to think I was reading too much into things. My mom walked in at that moment as I was about to head to the stairs. She eyes me suspiciously./p  
p class="MsoNormal""You okay hun? You look terrible."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Hah, thanks mom. Nice to see you too." She smiled an apology and came over to feel my face./p  
p class="MsoNormal""You feel fine, but you look pretty bad." She put her thumb to my temple and then took my hands looking me in the eyes. This wasn't normal mom behavior but I couldn't complain because I started to feel relief. "Why don't you go upstairs and rest, just in case you're getting sick. I'll bring you some tea."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah, okay. Maybe I'm catching whatever Ray has."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""What does Ray have?" She said concerned./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Not sure…but he feels like he has a fever. Dad went up to help him a minute ago."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Oh…I'm sure he's got it under control." emYeah, right. /em /p  
p class="MsoNormal"I made it up the stairs to hear Ray moaning in his room and my dad speaking to him softly. I had no idea what was going on but if it was contagious I was staying away. I walked into my room and plopped onto my bed. I hadn't realized how tired I felt until laying down. My body felt okay but my mind felt so emdrained/em./p  
p class="MsoNormal"At some point I remembered my mom bringing me up some tea and telling me to drink it all. But I was already in and out of sleep. An abrupt noise woke me. I opened my eyes and looked outside. It was dark. I must had been asleep a few hours. I got up carefully, fearing that my head would be spinning and I would be falling back to the pillows. But I didn't. I actually felt perfectly fine. emStrange./em /p  
p class="MsoNormal"I heard the noise again and realized it was Ray. I ran over to his room to see him leaving it./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Where are you going?" I asked./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Out."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Weren't you just really sick hours ago?" I said./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Guess it passed." He wouldn't even look at me./p  
p class="MsoNormal""What the hell, Ray! A few hours ago you were speaking to me again and now it's back to distancing yourself from me?" I was chasing after him down the stairs./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Yeah." Was all he said, and I was furious./p  
p class="MsoNormal""You're going to go hang out with emthem/em aren't you!?" I yelled as he was walking out the door. But he didn't respond, he didn't need to. I already knew the answer./p  
p class="MsoNormal"I turned, tears burning in my eyes to see my dad looking at me with a concerned, but all-knowing expression. Since when did this family start keeping secrets? I wasn't stupid. Something was going on. I pushed past him and ran back up to my room. I could hear him calling after me telling me dinner was on the table if I wanted it. I didn't respond but shut my door as I burst into tears./p  
p class="MsoNormal"What was happening to Ray? Why was he leaving me for a group of kids who are obviously not a good influence on him? It was like he didn't even want to go but went anyway. And my parents! They just sat back like it's no big deal! Whatever was going on I didn't like it. This wasn't the Ray I knew and loved, these weren't the parents I knew and loved. Hell! My whole world wasn't the one I knew and loved./p  
p class="MsoNormal"I shoved my face into my pillow and bawled. The pain I felt inside amplified and I ached all over again. I prayed that sleep would take me so I could push away these feelings. Luckily I didn't have to wait long before I drifted off into dreams./p  
p class="MsoNormal"[-][-][-]/p  
p class="MsoNormal"The days dragged on, becoming more and more miserable. I didn't try anymore with Ray. What was the point; he had made his decision that this cult was more important than me. I was ignoring my parents. Any time I walked into the room I could hear their quiet conversations cease. I knew they were talking about me, keeping secrets I was sure. emWhy can't they just tell me what was going on?!/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Each day I woke up and spent my time on my own. Sometimes hiking, sometimes locking myself to my room. That's where I was tonight – on my balcony in the moonlight. It was probably getting late judging by the moon. I had been reading a while, trying to keep my mind off things but even that hadn't kept me distracted. For the past hour I was just sitting taking in my senses again. That is until I heard rustling from below. I saw two people come from out of the edge of the forest by the side of the house and walk to the front. I realized one was Ray, I could tell by his build, even though he had become even taller and more muscular in the past weeks. The second person I was unsure of. I walked into my room and closed the balcony doors so I could hear what was going on./p  
p class="MsoNormal"Ray and the other person were walking up the stairs. "Don't worry, you'll heal by morning. The pain should be stopping soon anyway…"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"strongJacob./strong It was Jacob Black. /p  
p class="MsoNormal"Adrenaline rushed through my body as anger took hold of me, power surging through my veins. emHow dare he come into this house! How dare he think he can influence my brother the way he has./em I decided I would confront him. If I couldn't get my brother to tell me what the hell was going on, maybe I could get Jacob to talk./p  
p class="MsoNormal"But then I started hearing my brother wince and moan in pain and I was filled with the desire to help him, to take away his pain. My sweet brother…he didn't deserve this. I stood beside his open door and suddenly I began to feel the same current, the same fire rush through me as it had when I was on the trail. It wasn't as strong as before but it was definitely there. I stood, trying to hear what they were saying when all of the sudden Jacob walked out of the door and down the steps. My breath stopped in my throat. emHe didn't see me…how could he not see me?/em/p  
p class="MsoNormal"I stood there as still as I could, the fire still rushing through me with the desire to help Ray. I held onto that power, realizing that whatever was going on inside me was fueled by a desire to help him. Jacob was walking back up the stairs and into the hall. I was staring into his eyes but he was looking straight through me. He paused, I was sure that if he couldn't see me he could sense me. But then a second later he walked back into Ray's room and they spoke a short while more./p  
p class="MsoNormal"I heard Jacob saying his goodbyes and he was walking down the stairs again. I heard him approach the front door and I ran down the steps silently - allowing the front door to close before I reached the bottom. I bolted out the back planning to cut him off before he reached the tree line of where they had walked from./p  
p class="MsoNormal"But I was slow, stealthy. I needed to keep a level head and not let my anger get the best of me. I needed to stay in control of the situation or else I would never get any answers. The fire within me made me feel powerful, but it was already fading. Probably due to the fact that I wasn't near Ray who needed me./p  
p class="MsoNormal"And then there he was. I could barely make out Jacob's form in the thin moon's light. I approached him from behind./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Kiana." It wasn't a question. He knew I was there. Fear struck me and I froze. I could feel anger radiating from him. He turned and began approaching me but I stood my ground in the shadow of the trees. He came to join me in the shadow standing feet in front of me but far enough away that I couldn't see his face clearly./p  
p class="MsoNormal""What have you done to my brother, Jacob?" I said with as much authority as I could muster. From what I could see of his face, it was covered in guilt. And in an instant my rage turned to concern against my will. A sick laugh escaped his lips./p  
p class="MsoNormal""It isn't me who has done anything to your brother. He's experiencing the same thing we all have to experience because of emthem/em." emThem, who is them? /emThe pain in his voice was evident but it didn't give me any explanation./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Jacob," I said softly, moving closer to him so I could read his face, "I just want to know what's happening to my brother, what has happened to you. How can I help him?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""You can't" he said turning away roughly hiding his face from me./p  
p class="MsoNormal""I can, I know I can. Please Jacob…" I placed my hand on his arm, wanting to take away his pain. Why? I was unsure of the reasons, but every sense and feeling within me wanted to save him, "Let me help you…" I whispered. He backed away from me, taking several steps back. The fire flared within me./p  
p class="MsoNormal""There's nothing you can do." He said harshly./p  
p class="MsoNormal"I took a step towards him, trying to look into his eyes but he avoided mine, "I don't know what you are, Jacob, or what Ray is for that matter… But please, I can help. Give me the chance to try…"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"He stood there a few feet away from me examining me but never looking at my face. The pain and indecision was clear from where I stood. He began to step towards me closing the distance. I felt the fire blazing with its purpose and I knew that I could save him. Every fiber of my being was screaming out to him, it took every ounce of me to remain where I was until finally he was close enough. He paused right in front of me and I took the chance – I reached out to him, placing my hand on his unusually warm arm and finally staring into his eyes. They too were a fire blazing. I expected to see anger and hatred but only saw relief, understanding, and passion. Now I was the one taken aback. He held my gaze placing his hand on my own. So many thoughts and feelings rushed through me in seconds./p  
p class="MsoNormal"How was it that I felt whole? How was it that with one look into his eyes my whole life was clear? He let a small smile form on his sweet lips and I lost my breath. Who was this incredible man standing before me? Surely, it wasn't the same man I had formed a secret hatred for due to what he was putting my brother through. My thoughts were interrupted by his voice,/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Why don't we take a walk…" the hand that held mine was now leading me deeper into the forest./p 


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone! Here's a little more of Jacob's POV. Hope you all enjoy it. Again, I don't own anything but my characters. Leave me some reviews. Also, it may be a little while till I post the next chapter. It's really dense and I'm trying to break it up and make sure I'm on the story path I want to be on. Enjoy!**

_Chapter 7_

**Jacob's POV**

It had been a rough day for Ray. His transformation was different than all of ours had been. Billy said it was because he was only partially Quileute and so instead of taking a few days it was taking a couple of weeks of off and on suffering. Soon enough it would be over. Billy thought that he wouldn't have necessarily changed but since the Cullens were such a large clan and the nomads were hunting down Bella the Quileute blood in him took over.

I was walking Ray home tonight. It seemed like I was the only one who could really help him out during the transition. Not many of the others in the pack showed him much sympathy. Sam was helping him out but had his own alpha duties. Seth had made the change right before Ray's family arrived so he was a good help to Ray but was needed with the pack for the rounds. It seemed like they were still letting me be on my own since my…distance from the pack.

Ray hadn't welcomed the change up front. I don't blame him. He held a hatred towards his culture and way of life due to the fact that he wasn't given a choice and now he was thrust into a world most people would believe to be fantasy. Although I had accepted what I am if I could go back I'm not 100% sure I would choose this life. But once Ray realized, just like I did, that he had a purpose and a responsibility to keep those around him safe it helped him ease into it. Especially since he had such a good relationship with his family. Once he learned of the bloodsuckers and the danger they presented he was all for keeping his family alive. He finally felt his purpose.

We approached his house. I asked him if we needed to sneak in but his parents weren't too uptight about it since they knew Ray would be with the pack. His own father had seen the wolves and had been involved with the pack when he was young although he wasn't a wolf himself. So Ray luckily had his dad as a resource. His dad had told his mom as much as he could but she knew not to ask many questions. I had a sense she may have secrets of her own to keep. Tonight I had to help Ray up the stairs. Wolf training was a bit rough and we let him come along on more rounds of the perimeters. He had a hard time breaking in his wolf legs. Over the past week or so he had gotten pretty beaten up. And since he was only partially transforming he didn't have the super quick healing that the rest of us did.

He eased onto his bed thanking me and I ran downstairs to grab him some water before I left. I was walking up the stairs when I was hit by the presence of another person. I had to remind myself that Ray's sister was across the hall and his parents were downstairs…but this presence felt so much closer and I was drawn to it. I had no idea why but as I paused at the top of the stairs I could have sworn I was staring at right where it should be. But I saw nothing but a hallway in front of me. As I walked into Ray's room I caught the sweetest most intoxicating smell, the same smell from the day we found the young boy. I couldn't wrap my head around it…

"Is your sister here Ray?

"Yeah, probably why?"

"Just wondering…remember you can't tell her. I know you guys are close but we can't let our secret out to just anyone."

He paused for a moment, staring at his ceiling, "Are you sure? I know she's pissed off at me because I've already been avoiding her. It doesn't feel right keeping such an important thing from her…"

"I guess you'll have to take it up with Sam, but don't get your hopes up."

I said my goodbyes and headed downstairs to his front door. Again, as I stepped out of his room I smelled the most wonderful scent and felt a presence but I shook it from my head and walked down and out of the house. But as I was walking from the house the presence followed me. Don't tell me how I knew, chalk it up to my extra wolf senses but it was following me. As I walked towards the edge of the forest the wind blew from behind me. In that moment the scent was clear to me. Slightly like Ray's but more feminine…more inviting. It felt like the smell alone was calling me to it. The puzzle became clear. It had to be Kiana. I was taken back to Sam and Emily's house the day I met her. I was too angry to fully take note of her before I stormed out…but now that I think back I remember this exact smell linking to her.

Why was I so drawn to this? I could keep walking straight into the forest and phase and be done with it but something was holding me back. I decided to take a chance.

"Kiana." It wasn't a question, I had no doubt it was her now. I could feel her stop but I ached for her to close the distance, so I turned and began to walk slowly to where she stood.

Then a wave of thoughts washed over me. This is what I had seen in the minds of those in the pack that had imprinted. Could it be that this beautiful, other worldly woman in front of me was my imprint?

Fear struck me when I knew I should feel nothing but happiness. After all of this time I thought Bella would be mine and she was leaving me. Not only that but after all of the effort and devotion towards her, after all the love I had for her, this new and unknown girl was standing before me with the power to change everything I had ever known and loved. I was angry; angry at Bella and the way things had gone, angry that if this was the way my life was supposed to go I had never had a choice. And if this was the way my life was supposed to go why had I suffered so much pain from Bella? But in an instant, if I allowed myself to glance into her eyes, all of what I had known with Bella and all of the pain could be whisked away. What stood before me was a realm of unknown possibilities and it frightened me more than anything I had encountered; more than Bella dying, more than Victoria threatening our entire tribe, more than giving all of myself and never receiving the same in return.

But that was it, wasn't it? My last fear…it could be gone in an instant if only I gave fate the chance. After all, I was feeling a magnetism I didn't know existed, a passion boiling inside me that I didn't know could come alive. I was shaken from my thoughts as her voice broke through the silence.

"What have you done to my brother Jacob?" Her body language was lethal…and I'm sure her eyes would have sent daggers into me if I looked, but I resisted.

"It isn't me who has done anything to your brother. He's experiencing the same thing we all have to experience because of _them" _I felt remorse for her brother and the pain and guilt returned to me. I knew she wouldn't understand as I explained but it was all I could say.

"Jacob," her voice had changed, it was like the heavens were singing my name through her sweet lips. Instead of the anger it was concern. She was moving closer to me. The nearness of her making me feel as though the magnet inside me would burst through my chest to meet her, "I just want to know what's happening to my brother, what has happened to you. How can I help him?" I could tell she was smart and perceptive but she didn't understand the gravity of the situation.

"You can't." It was harsh but it was the truth.

"I can, I know I can. Please Jacob…" She was begging me and it took every bit of strength I had to refuse the desire to look at her. I couldn't do this. I couldn't give up the love for Bella, the life I wanted with her. Even though in this moment Bella didn't want me I knew she could change. She had to change… "Let me help you…" _I can't do this!_ I backed away from her. Not only was it the fear of losing Bella, it was the fear of not being enough for this incredible human being standing before me. I was so inadequate, so unworthy of her concern and yet she was standing before me begging me to let her take it all away…

"There's nothing you can do…" It came out harsher than I had hoped as I still avoided her gaze. But if she walked away now my life could be the same. She had one last chance in this moment to choose to leave me to my misery. One last chance to remain out of a supernatural world of monsters. And yet her sweet voice returned,

"I don't know what you are, Jacob, or what Ray is for that matter… But please, I can help. Give me the chance to try…" At that, I melted at her words. _She knew._ Somewhere deep inside she understood the world around her…somewhere inside her she felt the need to help me, to care for me, to accept what she didn't yet understand. The fear vanished, the uncertainty of leaving the life I knew disappeared. I knew what I wanted. I knew what I needed. And she was here, standing right in front of me offering herself to help me in my pain. I began stepping towards her, the last doubts in my mind fading as I knew in one glance I would be saved. I paused in front of her taking a breath as she placed her hand on my arm. The feelings of her sent electricity through my entire body and I was desperate to be held in the warmth of her gaze. And so I gave in, and allowed our eyes to meet.

Hers were the most beautiful blue gems, but in seconds I wasn't just looking into her eyes, I was looking into her soul. In an instant I felt whole; I held no fears of where my life would take me as long as she was standing next to me. And I was relieved when I could see in her gaze the same things I felt. I placed my hand on hers that held my arm wanting to reassure her that I felt the same,

"Why don't we take a walk…" and I took her hand in mine to guide her into a life full of love and protection.

[-][-][-]

**Kiana's POV**

Jacob was leading me through the trees to Second Beach. I was happy I knew where I was going even though he didn't tell me. Not that I wouldn't trust him but with what had just happened and all of these feelings rushing through me at least I didn't have to be afraid of where I was – one less thing to worry about.

His hand felt so perfect in mine, why? I had no idea and I was trying to refrain from thinking these things but I couldn't deny how right it felt. For some reason I felt like he was feeling the same and yet I was cautious. We started walking onto the sand as he led me to a boulder sitting near the tree line. We sat down and I was surprised it wasn't uncomfortable. I pulled up my legs and leaned back against the rock since it made a nice backrest for us. I don't know how but I felt completely comfortable near Jacob. But I still had questions I wanted answered and concerns for my brother I couldn't ignore. I wasn't going to let Jacob's charm keep me from understanding what was going on.

He looked around, almost as if he was checking to make sure the coast was clear before sitting down next to me. His eyes met mine again and I couldn't breathe. His eyes were the most beautiful brown, but they almost seemed like they were on fire as he gazed at me and I could feel the blush rising in my cheeks. I looked down, I never really blushed, only when I was young. I felt like a child and was completely embarrassed. I could hear him chuckle and I turned quickly to him, defiantly. He raised his eyebrows and backed away a little but still smiling at me. I let out a laugh and just shook my head.

I had no idea what to say, I was at a complete loss for words. What do you say to the person you hated less than an hour ago who all of the sudden made you feel like a totally new woman who was swept off of her feet with just one look? We sat there for a little while just gazing at the waves as they met the shore calmly. His sweet, deep voice woke me from silence,

"I know you want to know about your brother. I'm just not sure how to say it." I looked at him confused.

"What do you mean?" He smiled at me apologetically.

"It's not that I don't want to tell you it's just that I don't know how to find the words. I haven't had to explain this to anyone and it's not really a short answer…"

"You're not making any sense." Frustration was rising in me but I shook it away.

"I know…tomorrow a group of the tribe leaders are meeting. They're going to tell the stories of our people. It would be good for you to be there." I was so confused.

"Okay…will that answer my questions?"

"It should." He said and then he looked at me as if he wasn't sure to continue, "Actually, I have a question for you."

"Yes…?"

He was hesitant, "Were you on the Second Beach Trail the other day?" I tensed a little, I knew exactly what he was talking about but I couldn't believe that he was asking if I had been there. I hadn't seen him anywhere so I decided to test the waters.

"I walk along the trail almost every day, so yeah, probably." He nodded, "Why?" I tried to not sound defensive.

"It's just that we found an injured boy on the trail and were hoping to find out more of what happened to him." His statement made so many questions pop into my head like who is we? Since I knew that I only saw the giant wolf and the boy it confused me. And what did he know already of the boy?

"Oh, I heard about that but I wasn't there, I would remember." He stared at me squinting a little as if he was trying to dissect my words.

"Are you sure?" I nodded and he gave me a small smile as he looked away, "I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of you there."

"Sorry, I don't think it was me." _He had been there_. The thought left me frozen. I couldn't put the pieces together. The big wolf, the voices after I lost my vision, the fact that I was left alone until Ray found me. Maybe Jacob was one of the voices. Did he think I did this to the boy? I just couldn't admit it was me that he saw.

"Must have just been something else then," he said. We sat in silence for a few more minutes until Jacob spoke, "It's getting pretty late…I know you have a lot of questions, Kiana. And I promise they will be answered tomorrow. I wish I could tell you everything but I just can't" His face looked pained and I placed my hand on his reassuring him.

"I understand. I don't want to force you to tell me anything." He smiled at me and stood up using the hand I placed on his to guide me.

"Let's get you back home."

[-][-][-]

"Goodnight Kiana." Jacob said as he let go of my hand at my door.

"Goodnight Jacob." I said smiling back to him as I tried to open my door as quietly as I could. I turned and waved goodbye to him and walked up to my room. As I closed my door a knock on my balcony door made me jump. I walked slowly to the balcony, cautious as I moved the blinds aside. There, on the other side, standing on my two story balcony was Jacob. I opened the door.

"How did you – "I began,

"I like climbing trees" He said nodding to the big tree nearby.

"Oh…" He laughed a little but then his face turned serious.

"Kiana, I just want you to know that I don't think you hurt the boy…I just wanted to know if you had helped him." He was looking at me but I just couldn't meet his stare. I didn't know what to say, I didn't know if I should admit I was there. It was great that he didn't think I did it but how do I explain what happened when I don't even understand it. "Sleep well." I finally looked at him and his eyes gazed into mine filling me with peace.

"You too." I whispered and in a second he had leapt onto the tree and was sliding down it to the ground. I was taken aback by his strength. I smiled at him as he left but inside I was so conflicted. I felt so much drawing me towards him and yet so much was still a mystery. Even though he said he didn't think I hurt the boy I knew he was suspicious of me. But I was suspicious of myself. Whatever power I had felt off and on and especially while trying to help that boy wasn't normal. Something about me was different and it wasn't just my looks. I ached inside with fear and uncertainty. What was happening to me? What secrets about myself did I not know?

I walked inside my room and laid down. I hoped that tomorrow would give me the answers I needed, Jacob had promised after all.


End file.
